Saving Hamlet

"This entertaining and original novel deals not just with growing up, but with a fresh and different interpretation of ‘to be or not to be.'” – Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“First-time author Booth captures the thrills of the theater in two eras while providing a striking portrait of Shakespeare and the Chamberlain’s Men through Emma’s eyes.” – Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“I love, love, love SAVING HAMLET. I love its characters–smart, sassy, irreverent–and its gender-bending both in the 21st and 17th centuries. I love its intelligent take on high school theater geeks. And I know just which granddaughter is getting a copy of this book.”​―Jane Yolen, author of The Devil’s Arithmetic, Sword of the Rightful King, Owl Moon

A Best Book of the Year, Bank Street College of Education & Children’s Book Committee, 2017 Edition

“Emma Allen couldn’t be more excited to start her sophomore year. Not only is she the assistant stage manager for the drama club’s production of Hamlet, but her crush Brandon is directing, and she’s rocking a new haircut that’s sure to get his attention. But soon after school starts, everything goes haywire. Emma’s suddenly promoted to stage manager, her best friend, Lulu, stops talking to her, and Josh—the sweet soccer player who’s been cast as the lead—turns out to be a disaster. It’s up to Emma to fix it all, but she has no clue where to start.

One night after rehearsal, Emma stays behind to think through her life’s latest crises and distractedly falls through the stage’s trap door…landing in the basement of the Globe Theater.

​It’s London, 1601, and with her awesome new pixie cut, everyone thinks Emma’s a boy—even Will Shakespeare himself. Dropped into the middle of the original production of Hamlet, Emma gamely plays her role as backstage assistant, jumping at the chance to experience theatre history and rub shoulders with legends. But the Globe’s Hamlet has its own problems, and once Emma starts traveling back and forth through time, things get really confusing. In which reality does she belong? And can she possibly save two epically tragic productions of Hamlet before time runs out?”